


Sun and Shade

by pec



Category: Gintama
Genre: F/F, Gen, beach, gintama secret santa, various other characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 11:16:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8977450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pec/pseuds/pec
Summary: The Heavenly Four and their respective groups spend an afternoon at the beach. Mutsu faces misplaced resentment from Matako. written for #gntmsecretsanta, gift for Gale! :3





	

**Author's Note:**

> thank you, [tay](https://twitter.com/nyatsuma) & [elmo](https://twitter.com/nikiforcvs), for beta-reading this fic. you guys rock!
> 
> disclaimer: i do not own these characters, the Gorilla does.

The sun shone brightly and mercilessly, high up in the clear sky. There was a pleasant breeze that swayed the beach umbrellas as seagulls flew overhead, scavenging for food near the shore. The beach was peppered with small groups of sunbathers, swimmers, and – further out in the water – surfers. 

Mutsu sat under a rocky archway, taking shelter from the sweltering sunlight and sipping fresh coconut water, as she watched her own by-no-means-small rowdy group of people. There was Katsura Kotarou, his lower half buried under an enormous pile of sand – which was being shaped into a mermaid tail by Sakata Gintoki, Shimura Shinpachi and Kagura – occasionally spitting out the sand that was getting into his mouth from the rough handling by the other three. The mysterious and enormous Elizabeth sat nearby, providing shade and sips of water to Katsura. There was Takasugi Shinsuke and Kawakami Bansai teamed up and playing volleyball against none other than her fleet partner Sakamoto Tatsuma, who was partnered – through a series of very unexpected and extremely entertaining events – with Hitotsubashi Nobunobu. The game was in favor of the Kiheitai duo because the shortest of the four, Takasugi, also proved to be the fastest and most flexible. There was a loud groan from Sakamoto as his opponents high-fived after a particularly brutal round. 

“It's 15 against 7 now, Tatsuma,” said Takasugi, tossing the ball up and down and getting ready to serve. 

“Go Shinsuke-sama!” came a loud cheer from a few feet away. Mutsu squinted at the owner of that voice and found that it was Kijima Matako. She was blindfolded and wielding a wooden baseball bat, clearly engaged in a watermelon splitting contest. As she returned to swinging her bat, Mutsu silently commended the blonde's fervent support for her leader. 

“Mutsu!” cried Sakamoto, waving an arm to get her attention. “Why aren't you cheering for us? We need motivation, too!” 

Mutsu fought off the urge to roll her eyes. 

“You need motivation?” She put down the coconut and adjusted her sedge hat. “All right. How about this: if you lose, I will destroy every single one of your MojaMoja toys.”

Sakamoto and Nobunobu shared an incredulous look (“What are mojamoja toys?” asked Nobunobu - “Piggy banks in _mojamoja_ shapes, it's my latest product!” explained Sakamoto), but it was quickly replaced by a determined look as both got in position to receive Takasugi's serve. 

The volleyball game resumed and Mutsu watched, confident that the Kiheitai duo would now be faced with decent challenge. 

There was a disturbance among the watermelon splitting group. Matako had taken off her blindfold and the bat was hanging by her side. She was looking in Mutsu's direction. Her gaze was sharp and hostile, her lips were turned down at the corners. There was faint color in her cheeks, whether due to the weather or anger, Mutsu could only guess. A few members from her group called out to her but Matako ignored them in favor of narrowing her eyes and flexing her jaw. Mutsu didn't understand what she'd done to earn such loathing looks from the girl. She felt her own pulse quicken and looked away.

 

“It's too hot!” cried Kagura, dragging Mutsu to a shaved ice stand. “I can't stand this much longer, where the heck are all the clouds?!”

Mutsu placed an order of a large cup of shaved iced for each of them; lemon syrup flavor for Kagura and grape for herself. 

“This should help with the heat, yes?” said Kagura, digging happily into the ice. Mutsu smiled at her and took a spoonful of her own shaved ice. The instant coolness in her mouth was indeed refreshing. As Kagura ordered a second serving, this time with a cherry flavored syrup, Mutsu looked around just in time to see Matako approaching them. Mutsu stepped aside to let Matako speak to the vendor but it quickly became clear that was not who Matako wanted to talk to. 

“You.” Matako spoke to Mutsu, hands on her hips. “What the hell do you think you're doing here?”

Mutsu looked down at the cup in her hand and assumed the question wasn't about her presence at the shaved ice stand. She clearly remembered the loaded glare she had received earlier. Before she could reply, however, Kagura interrupted. 

“What was that, Barbie?” Kagura stepped between Mutsu and Matako. “Are you picking on Mucchi? Huh?” 

Matako's eye twitched but she otherwise managed to ignore Kagura and kept her eyes on Mutsu.

“We, the Kiheitai, planned this excursion with all of you as a gesture of friendship, to move past our enmity and have a good time together, but clearly, some of us can't let go of the past, can we?”

That made Mutsu frown. Matako stepped around Kagura and came to stand face to face with Mutsu. 

“From the way you've been behaving the entire day – avoiding any interaction with us – it's obvious that you're still holding grudges,” said Matako, an eyebrow arched. “You looking down on us?” 

_So you're just butt-hurt I didn't mingle with you_ , thought Mutsu. She found this entire confrontation rather endearing. She was also quite distracted by the way Matako's ponytail swayed in the wind and how the tips of her hair lightly brushed against her neck, how full her lips were when she wasn't scowling, and how her pink bikini bottoms were held up by strings tied at either hip. For a crazy moment, she imagined herself pulling at those strings. 

“I'm talking to you!” barked Matako, the scowl back on her face. Mutsu mentally shook herself. 

“Who the heck would wanna interact with someone as nasty as you?!” shrieked Kagura, thrusting her face up at Matako. “Leave Mucchi alone!” 

Matako leaned down until she was nose to nose with Kagura. “This isn't about you, so back off, rascal.”

“Please, don't fight,” spoke a man who Mutsu recognized as Kiheitai's Takechi Henpeita. “This gathering is in order to promote a sense of unity. Try and get along.” 

“That's what I'm trying to explain to this arrogant woman!” said Matako. “But she's sitting too high on her horse.”

Mutsu wanted to clear this allegation against her, but it was hard to get a word in edgewise with everyone talking around her. 

“She's not sitting on any horse!” cried Kagura, waving her parasol at the space around Mutsu. “Are you as blind as you are rude?” 

“Calm yourselves,” said Takechi calmly, spared a look at Mutsu before turning to Matako. “I've had the honor of handling many dealings with Kaientai, and Mutsu-dono directly, and I can assure you from personal experience that Mutsu-dono is a very respectful and humble person.”

“Sure doesn't seem that way to me, Takechi-senpai. Are you sure you're not being biased again?” scoffed Matako. “All she's done today is sit and eat-”

“Drink, actually,” said Mutsu, noting how Matako's eyes went wide. “I've been drinking to keep hydrated.” 

Matako seemed stunned for a few seconds before snapping back to herself.

“Whatever! My point is that you haven't participated in anything, as if all of this is beneath you.” 

“My dear Matako-chan,” spoke Takechi, looking surprised, “there is a reason why Mutsu-dono is avoiding needless physical exertion. Surely you noticed? The pale skin and hair, the monstrous strength, just like Kagura-chan's – she's a yato, and is therefore weak under the sunlight.” 

Matako looked between Kagura and Mutsu, lost for words. Kagura shook her head in disgust. Takechi watched Matako for a while, before retreating back to Takasugi's side of the beach. 

Just then, a gale of wind knocked Mutsu's sedge hat off her head. Kagura let out a cry of alarm and ran after the hat. Mutsu's knees buckled and she slumped forward, but she was swiftly held by Matako.

“Hey, pull yourself together,” said Matako in a panic. “You okay?” 

Mutsu snorted and righted herself. “Just kidding. I'm fine.” 

The worry on Matako's face morphed into confusion and then indignation. There was a blush on her face, too. She stepped away from Mutsu.

“It's true that I've been avoiding exhausting my energy,” said Mutsu, taking her hat from Kagura, “but I wouldn't call myself 'weak' under the sun. For instance, I wouldn't have a problem smashing that watermelon with my bare fist. But I do feel lethargic in the sun, yes. That's why I prefer nighttime on Earth, or somewhere so deep in outer space that even the brightest star can't reach me.” 

Matako scratched the back of her neck, not meeting eyes with Mutsu.

“It was a nice plan.” Mutsu shrugged, watching Kagura stuff her face with cherry flavored shaved ice. “To spend time together and interact with each other. However, you're naive if you think that alone is enough to unite people.”

There was a challenge in Matako's eyes. Mutsu smiled. 

“Ideas, however noble they may be, cannot change others,” said Mutsu, “and neither can force. What actually motivates people is personal benefit. What are you in this for, Matako? Are you here for yourself, or are you trying to please someone else?”

Matako bit her lower lip and looked over to where Takasugi and Bansai were standing. Mutsu took a step forward. 

“Did you bond with anyone new today?” she asked. “Because that's the other thing needed to really move people; a deep connection.” 

Mutsu looked down at the now melted ice in her cup. She gulped the contents down in one sip before tossing the empty cup into a nearby trash can. She nodded at Matako once and walked back to her shaded spot under the arch. 

When she looked back, she found Matako watching her. This time, though, there was no glare. 

 

The following week was Mutsu's birthday. She received a package in the mail. It contained handgun ammo and a note that said:

_Sorry for mouthing off at you. Thanks for talking to me.  
Happy birthday. _

_From Matako._

“You're scaring me, Mutsu,” said Sakamoto, when Mutsu pardoned the volleyball game bet he had lost and didn't throw away the MojaMoja piggy banks. “Why are you being nice? What's got you in such a good mood?” 

Mutsu couldn't say. She just proceeded to load her pistol with the newly arrived bullets. 

 

-x-x-x-

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos feed the soul! :3


End file.
